The eighth-grader who committed

[HejiraHenry]

An eighth-grade baseball player from our area has committed to an SEC school.

Yep. Eighth-grader. But he is coming off a run on the USA Baseball's 14-and-under team, so he can play.

But goodgodalmighty, he's 14 ... barely.

It just makes me sick to my stomach to think of the can of commitment worms we're gonna open up by printing this.

 

[sgreenwell]

My reaction is more like, an SEC school wants to sign an eighth grader? I feel like they're going to take a PR hit on this.

 

[HanSenSE]

Lane Kiffin wonders what the fuss is about.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

This has happened a couple of times with football, where some 14-year-old QB commits to a team. It's not an official thing. They haven't signed a letter yet, and the school can withdraw it.

Still, it's pretty scary and ridiculous that colleges are recruiting eighth graders.

 

[slappy4428]

It's the SEC. You sure it's not a senior with an eighth grade education?

 

[HejiraHenry]

It's the SEC. You sure it's not a senior with an eighth grade education?

Nice.

 

[imjustagirl]

I could have sworn UK got an eighth-grade "commitment" a couple years back. Might have even been younger.

EDIT: Found it. He was in eighth-grade.

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=910&CID=803673

And a follow-up story:

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/throwback/201102/high-school-juniors-college-future-uncertain-after-eighth-grade-commitment-ken

 

[Jake_Taylor]

How meaningless is a middle schooler committing to a college baseball program? Even with a senior, signing with a college team doesn't mean much until he sees where he's drafted.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Damon Bailey was also recruited by Indiana as an eighth-grader.

 

[HejiraHenry]

Damon Bailey was also recruited by Indiana as an eighth-grader.

And promptly became a punchline.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

Do the kid a favor and make it, at best, a note or part of a notes column, and not a story with its own headline.

 

[HejiraHenry]

Do the kid a favor and make it, at best, a note or part of a notes column, and not a story with its own headline.

Buried it with the "in brief" items at bottom of scoreboard rail this morning ... our smallest readership paper this time of year.

 

[Small Town Guy]

Do the kid a favor and make it, at best, a note or part of a notes column, and not a story with its own headline.

Buried it with the "in brief" items at bottom of scoreboard rail this morning ... our smallest readership paper this time of year.

At least you don't have to worry about his parents calling to say your lack of coverage is costing their kid a scholarship.

 

[Freelance Hack]

Unless the rules have changed, college coaches have way more opportunities to contact kids in middle school. Once they hit high school, then those pesky NCAA regulations come into play.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Not just Damon Bailey or the SEC, folks ...

Wake Forest once got a high-profile quarterback from Independence High School in Charlotte and, in the process, got a "commitment" from his middle-school-age brother.

The older brother was C.J. Leak. The younger brother, Chris, eventually went to Gainesville to attend Florida.

 

[Blitz]

If the story hasn't run yet, and I'm assuming it hasn't since there is no mention specifically by Henry of who it is, it should run front page sports in the next available edition.
That's big news with the age factor, even if it never materializes.
It's big news here and now that an 8th grader committed to any school, much less a big-conference school.